TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
I think there's a difference between "taking ownership" of your documents,
and thinking you own them. I tell my students to take ownership, meaning
they are responsible for the information in that publication and in many
cases must be its champion. As you rightly point out, that does not mean
getting upset if it is edited or reviewed. Of course the company holds
copyright, but I also advocate putting your name in the publication, along
with the names of the contributors (e.g., developers who provided
information files and so on) where appropriate. If your name is on it for
all to see, you're more likely to maintain a standard of quality, and it
publicly acknowledges that you are responsible for the document.
Unless you don't want to be. <g>
-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-118812 -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-118812 -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]On Behalf Of
tom -dot- green -at- iwon -dot- com
Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 1:08 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Taking Credit
The first thing I learned from my Professional Writing Professor is that I
do not own anything I write. The company I work for owns it. Knowing that
has prevented my ego from outrunning my professionalism. I have seen a lot
of writers take "ownership" of their projects and get all bent when someone
else wants to edit or review "their" documents. I think that just gets in
the way of getting the job done.
WEBWORKS FINALDRAFT - EDIT AND REVIEW, REDEFINED
Accelerate the document lifecycle with full online discussions and unique feedback-management capabilities. Unlimited, efficient reviews for Word
and FrameMaker authors. Live, online demo: http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archiver -at- techwr-l -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
